As they trained, Arashi paused and looked at Naruto. "Hey, Naruto, where's Sasuke?"
"Sasuke?" Naruto shrugged, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "I don't know where he is, but he told me he'll be here tomorrow."
"Oh, okay..." Arashi resumed their sparring, but Kakashi noticed a marked improvement in his movements.
'Naruto learns a lot from Arashi,' Kakashi mused, observing their exchange. 'His speed already matches that of a low-level genin. But Arashi... he's in a whole other league. If it wasn't for his illness, he'd be on a Chunin level without even using his Rinnegan abilities. But due to his stamina issues, he's currently on par with a genin. That's still impressive, considering he has more years in the academy.'
Kakashi closed his book, a plan forming in his mind. 'I wonder...' He made a hand seal,
Whoosh! He appeared between the two sparring boys.
Both Naruto and Arashi looked at him, startled by his sudden arrival.
"Arashi, Naruto," Kakashi began, his tone casual, "why don't you two spar with me instead of going against each other?"
Arashi glanced at Naruto, who was already practically vibrating with excitement.
"Hn." They nodded in unison, a silent agreement passing between them.
"Alright, give it all you've got," Kakashi instructed, reaching into his pocket.
He pulled out... a book.
"A book!" Naruto exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Huh? What's the book for?" Arashi asked, equally confused.
"I'm reading it. Isn't that obvious?" Kakashi replied nonchalantly, already engrossed in the pages.
Arashi tilted his head, his confusion growing. "But why? I thought you were going to fight us?"
"I am," Kakashi said, not even looking up from his book. "But I can do that while reading this."
'What?' Both Arashi and Naruto felt a vein throb in their foreheads. They exchanged a look, a shared sense of indignation sparking between them.
They nodded at each other, a silent pact forming.
"If you underestimated us–" Arashi began, his voice rising.
"–We're going to kick your ass!" Naruto finished, his own voice carrying righteous anger.
Kakashi finally looked up from his book, a smirk playing on his lips. "Oh? You couldn't even beat me when you were at your best. Now that you have Naruto, do you really believe you'll win?"
Arashi bristled at the taunt. Kakashi's gaze swept over them, a challenge in his eyes.
"You coming or what?" he asked, his tone laced with a subtle insult.
Arashi's frown deepened. "Naruto, let's be patient first, rushing will only..."
But it was too late. "I'm going to beat you!" Naruto roared, charging headlong towards Kakashi.
'Damn it.' Arashi facepalmed.
Naruto lunged, his fist aimed at Kakashi's face. But with a swift sidestep and a well-placed kick, Kakashi sent the young ninja tumbling backward. "Umph!" Naruto landed on his back with a grunt.
'Alright, my turn,' Arashi thought, a flicker of determination in his eyes. He charged towards Kakashi, his movements a blur.
In a blink, Arashi appeared behind Kakashi, tanto poised to strike. But Kakashi anticipated the attack, leaping into the air and delivering a powerful kick that sent Arashi sprawling forward. With impressive agility, Arashi flipped back onto his feet, undeterred.
He swiftly formed a hand seal. Kakashi's eyes narrowed as he recognized the tiger seal. 'Wait, that's the tiger seal. Which means...' He hastily dropped his book.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Arashi roared.
A massive fireball erupted from his mouth, hurtling towards Kakashi. The jonin reacted quickly, forming his own hand seal.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall!"
A thick wall of earth rose from the ground, shielding Kakashi from the inferno. The impact shook the wall, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface from the sheer force of Arashi's attack.
'I should've known he knows that jutsu,' Kakashi thought, a hint of respect creeping into his gaze. 'It's the Uchiha's rite of passage, a key jutsu in the clan. My fault for underestimating him.'
Arashi wasted no time, launching a volley of shuriken towards Kakashi.
Cling! Cling! Kakashi deflected each one with effortless precision.
"Quite impressive," he remarked, a smirk tugging at his lips. "You've been holding back all along. Haven't you, Arashi?"
Arashi remained silent, his attacks growing even fiercer.
Suddenly, one of the thrown kunai transformed into Naruto, who grabbed Kakashi's leg, immobilizing him momentarily. 'What? He transformed himself into a kunai?'
Arashi seized the opportunity, swinging his fist with full force. But Kakashi vanished in a puff of smoke, replaced by a simple log.
"Huh?" Naruto's eyes widened in confusion. "But he–"
"Heads up!" Arashi warned, intercepting a surprise attack from behind. "What's wrong? Why aren't you using your Rinnegan abilities?" he questioned, his brow furrowed in concern.
Arashi didn't respond, his attacks relentless. He leaped back, creating distance between them. Naruto, seeing an opening, swung at Kakashi with all his might. Arashi used the momentum to propel himself forward, his katana aimed at Kakashi's chest.
Cling!! Kakashi blocked the tanto, but the impact sent sparks flying. He struggled to hold his ground against the combined force of their attack.
Arashi flickered backward, breaking away from the intense clash with Kakashi. He gasped for air, his lungs burning. "Huff... Huff... Can't... breathe..."
Naruto glanced at his friend with concern. "That's right, you can't use your Rinnegan, can you?"
Arashi gritted his teeth, frustration simmering beneath the surface. 'Ever since he got sick, Arashi lacks the stamina to utilize his Dojutsu properly,' Kakashi realized.
"Alright, Kakashi-sensei, it's time to use our combined secret ninjutsu!" Naruto declared, his voice brimming with newfound confidence.
Kakashi pushed his headband up, revealing his Sharingan. Naruto's eyes widened in surprise.
"That's just... like Shisui's eyes," he stammered.
Arashi nodded. "The Sharingan. Don't look directly into it."
"What? But how will we beat him?" Naruto asked, his gaze darting between Arashi and Kakashi.
Arashi smirked. "Fight him the same way you fight me."
Naruto blinked, then nodded slowly.
'Using only taijutsu and reading my movements,' Kakashi mused. 'If Naruto can also do that, then I shouldn't underestimate him either.'
"I won't make the mistake of underestimating any of you again," he declared, his Sharingan spinning with intensity.
Arashi's eyes widened, then narrowed with a smirk. 'This is just like before.'
"You won't be able to stop this one, I promise." Arashi's hands moved in a blur, forming a series of intricate hand seals.
Naruto recognized the sequence instantly. "Hehehe... Arashi, you cheeky bastard," he murmured with a chuckle, mirroring Arashi's hand seals.
"Harem Jutsu: Girl on Girl Jutsu!"
Poof!
Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise as a series of naked women materialized around him, sensually intertwined and posing provocatively.
"What?!" Kakashi's nose immediately began to bleed, causing him to stumble backwards before losing consciousness.
"Wahahaha! You nailed it, Arashi!" Naruto cheered, pumping his fist in victory.
Arashi grinned in satisfaction, joining Naruto in reveling in the success of their attack.
"Hey, Naruto, you were supposed to wait a little before attacking," Arashi chided, a hint of exasperation in his voice.
"Oh, really?" Naruto's sheepish grin was infectious. "I must've forgotten, you know."
"Naruto..." Arashi facepalmed, a sigh escaping his lips.
Poof! Kakashi's body dispersed into a cloud of smoke.
"Shadow clone?!" Arashi and Naruto exclaimed in unison.
The real Kakashi dropped from the branches above, landing gracefully between them. "You're not bad for academy students," he acknowledged, a genuine note of surprise in his voice. "But when did you make the clone?"
"Back when you sent that fireball towards me," Kakashi explained. "I had a few seconds to make a clone and go underground."
Arashi's frown deepened, and he clenched his fist in frustration. "I should've been smarter than that..." he muttered under his breath.
Kakashi's gaze softened. "Although, I have to admit, for academy students, you're much stronger than I thought. You're certainly the most unpredictable knuckleheads I've ever met."
Arashi's eyes hardened with determination. "But still... I didn't even notice you. I'll beat you next time!"
Kakashi nodded, impressed by the boy's unwavering resolve. "I'll be waiting," he replied, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips.
"Hey, what about me?!" Naruto protested, his voice indignant.
"You still have a ways to go," Kakashi said with a shrug.
"Eh? What the hell does that mean?!"
Kakashi simply chuckled. "Ask Arashi." With a flicker, he disappeared, reappearing atop a nearby tree branch.
"Hey, we aren't done here!" Naruto shouted, his competitive spirit flaring.
"Yes, we are," Kakashi replied, opening his book and settling comfortably against the trunk, one hand propping up his head. "Oh, and can you do me a favor?" he added, glancing down at them.
"What?" Arashi asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Just keep it down over there. This story is getting tense."
Arashi's frown returned, but he nodded in understanding. "Naruto, let's continue training. We're going to beat Kakashi-sensei one day, I'm sure of it!"
"Alright, that's our goal for now then!" Naruto exclaimed, his enthusiasm reignited. "We're going to beat Kakashi-sensei, believe it!"
Fueled by their shared determination, Arashi and Naruto resumed their training with renewed intensity. Even as their bodies screamed for rest, they pushed onward, their resolve echoing through the forest.
(Edited on: 05/10/24)